Cool Product Showcase #5

RACHEL WALKER FEATURED the coconut cream powered delights of Nice Cream’s ice cream back in May 2013 when she interviewed Rachel Nicholls (in a confluence of all things Rachel). I liked the idea of another vegan ice cream option but frankly, I wasn’t hugely fired up about it because every time I’ve tried vegan ice cream, I’ve come away disappointed. Most of them taste a little too much like chalk mixed with wallpaper paste and a tub of sweetener. In short, I didn’t exactly rush out to buy a tub.

Turns out I was wrong. Actually I was a muppet and I bitterly regret not getting round to trying Nice Cream sooner. I’d scoffed down a few of the company’s Nice Blocks (vegan ice blocks) and they’re pretty darn good but then again, freeze some good fruit juice and you’ve got a tasty vegan ice block – it’s not rocket science. What is rocket science however (or magic perhaps), is how Nice Cream managed to create a non-dairy ice cream that’s actually as good as any of the premium dairy versions out there.

I displayed little interest in the spoon that a friend was dipping into a tub of chocolate Nice Cream over the holidays, but was persuaded to try a mouthful. My response was somewhere between shock and awe, and much to my friend’s dismay, I promptly proceeded to inhale much of her precious tub of sweet goodness. This stuff really is spectacular – it’s sweet, rich and creamy without even the vaguest hint of that artificiality that I’d previously encountered. A second tub later in the holidays was treated exactly the same way – in fact I hate to admit that it’s totally possible for me to kill a 500ml tub in under twenty minutes like an angry sixteen-year-old girl in a teen movie.

Fortunately, Nice Cream have an option for gluttons like me – the little 125ml tubs. As long as I only eat one at a time, my physique is safe. You know what they say: “A minute on the lips, a lifetime on the hips” – not that I’m vain or anything like that of course. The good news in that regard is that despite tasting so good, Nice Cream is also nut free, soy and cholesterol free, contains less than half the sugar and fat of regular ice cream and has the benefits of medium chain fatty acid contained in all that sweetness.

This is another one of those dynamite vegan products that you could serve to the most avid dairy eater and they’d ask for more guaranteed, so it’s perfect for entertaining or taking along to a pot luck. Best of all, it’s actually nicely priced too. Try it soon, you won’t be sorry. ASHLEY KRAMER